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Home >> Photography >> Accessories Multiblitz
Profilite Compact 200
We both agreed that direct flash was most unattractive. (No shit, is that a fact now, wow we must freakin' geniuses like Forest Gump.) But we disagreed with what other alternative would be best for quick portrait shots. Gord had sent me some scans of a couple that had been lit via bounced flash from a white ceiling. I had done a few of these types of bounced shots myself so even though the scans were not the best to show off all the details of the original print, I could still see the benefits and disadvantages of this type of lighting. The bounced light yields a soft look that is omni-directional but causes some problems. First is the lack of catchlights in the eyes of the subject unless a card is used to bounce some light back to the subject. Second are the shadows that are created under the subjects' nose or chin area. I mentioned the use of a flash bracket to lift the flash higher to push the shadows farther down and generally out of the picture area but again, it is still direct light and at close distances not very attractive for the subject. Then we discussed the novel approach of using both direct light and bounce light. Gord and I both have this capability, he through his Pentax PZ-1p and me through my Metz 45CL-4. The Pentax PZ-1p is Pentax's top 35mm SLR and is in the came class as the Nikon F90x and Canon A2. As with the Canon A2, the PZ-1p has a built in flash but the novelty of the Pentax body is that the hotshoe is not on top of the prism but to the side where the right hand would grip the SLR. This is similar to the older Nikon bodies that mounted the flash to the left of the body due to the interchangeable prisms of the top F series bodies. Not until the F4 was introduced did Nikon¡ås top SLR have a standard prism mounted hotshoe. The Pentax PZ-1p has the side mounted hotshoe to allow for simultaneous use of the built in flash for what Pentax calls contrast-control. The main accessory flash can be bounced while the built in flash's output can be reduced for a 1:2 combined output. My Metz flash has a small flash built into the handle that can be used with the main flash head for similar results. For reducing the output of the small flash I can place an included ND type of filter over it so as not to provide too much harsh direct flash onto the subject. Both systems try to address the compromises that photographers face in the field with trying to get a subject well lit but not harshly so. Another variation on such a theme is the 45 degree bounce light with a white card attached to the back of the flash head. Nikon users have a small bounce card built into the top SB models such as the SB26 and SB28 and the SB27 also allows for diffused flash with its unique built-in bounce card. I've been using this technique a bit more as it seems to provide that nice compromise between bounce light and direct flash. The results provide softer light without lost of detail inherent in just bouncing the light. It can however, still expose wrinkles and blemishes like direct flash only less harshly. Now I want to get some Stofen diffusers to see how the quality of light is. I've seen quite a few of these attachments used by photojournalists to soften the light from their direct flash. Actually I've seen every technique used by photojournalists to do something with the light from flash brackets to 45 degree bounce to Stofens but it seems most are willing to live with harsh light and go direct. This would account for so many of the bad looking photos I've seen in the papers and magazines of various people in the news.What does this have to do the Multiblitz monolights? Well up until the time I bought the Multiblitz flashes and began to use them with umbrellas I have never been entirely satisfied with my flash work. When I got my first prints back using the Multiblitz units I was blown away. Now mind you I was using my Bronica and some Fuji NPS 160 so I should have expected good results but the Multiblitz flash units gave me the best light I had ever worked with. And this also translates well with 35mm film too. The umbrellas used would certainly be a factor in the quality of light since you can alter the light in so many ways with the umbrellas themselves by using different reflective material. I use Photoflex umbrellas that allow for the black cover to be removed so that you can flash through the umbrella. The inside lining is a white material that is a bit shiny on the inside and when the black cover is in place a silvery reflective quality is obtained. The one potential downside to the Photoflex umbrellas is the lack of covering for the shiny spokes of the umbrella, which according to some very anal users, can introduce unwanted artifacts on the subjects. The result of the light being bounced into the umbrellas is warmth with all the details apparent but no harshness. This doesn't mean that everything is diffused to perfection though as shiny noses and foreheads will still give off some hotspots. This could also mean that I still have a lot to learn about placement of light for best effect. Technical
The other monolights offered are the Compact 400 and Compact 600 with the numbers designating the amount of power in watts/second. I did see another gargantuan sized flash from Multiblitz in Leo's with a number designation of 1500 but I don't have anymore information on it. Multiblitz products are known for efficiency and packing a good deal of power into a small package. My Compact 200 heads are fairly small but since I have no experience with other flash heads I can't say if it is anymore smaller then other heads of comparable power. The larger and more powerful 400 and 600 heads require a built-in fan to keep the heads cool. Standard accessories are available for the Multiblitz heads. They include snoots, background reflectors, honeycomb grid screens, barn doors, large soft light reflectors and various sized soft boxes and umbrellas. A number of kits are available that combine various accessories with one, two or three flash heads. Some include light stands but my particular kit did not but no matter since I was buying the Multiblitz kit with my major Bronica SQ-Ai kit I was able to get some decent Manfrotto stands included in the package. I also got a slave trigger included as well which I¡åve found to be very useful not only with the Multiblitz heads but with other optical slaves too. The trigger and the Multiblitz heads are suppose to work via infrared communication but everything I've seen of it suggests that it is simply an optical slave system. Most other true infrared slave systems have two or more channels of communication so that the flash heads won't be triggered by other flashes popping off around them. The Multiblitz trigger has no channels and I believe it to be just a very weak flash unit that has a red filter placed in front of it so that it is not noticeable to others. The trigger will fire off my other slaved flashes such as my Nikon SU-4/SB28 combo or my optically slaved Vivitar 283s. The Multiblitz heads will also fire when in slave mode with other flashes popping off. The Compact 200 is very simple to operate. All the controls are on the back with the power cord socket located under the flash near the middle where the light stand mount is located. The front of the flash is protected with a plastic cover that fits in the same slots as the reflectors. The back of the flash head is dominated by a large red power dial that controls the output of the flash. Below the output dial are four push buttons that from left to right, power on/off the flash; turns on the modeling lamp; activates the slave mode; and test fires the flash. Beside the test fire button is the PC sync socket. Beside the output dial is the slave sensor that has a half cover that can be rotated to expose the slave sensor to a particular direction. A fuse socket is located by the slave sensor. Above the Output Dial are two green colored lights that denote power on and slave activated. That's it, simple enough that you can master the flash operation in minutes but mastering flash photography? Well, years¡¬maybe. The Output Dial allows for stepless control of the flash power from 1:1 to 1:8. I had some misgivings about buying a low powered flash kit, as the Compact 200 is just a little more powerful then my Metz 45CL-4 but in actual use I have not required the maximum power of the flash even once. My general working aperture for portraits is f8 and I keep the shutter at 1/60 for most indoor uses with the flashes roughly ten feet away from the subject. Within these parameters I'm usually using 1/2 power output. Quality of Light The quality of light from the Multiblitz with the Photoflex umbrellas (I keep the original Multiblitz umbrella aside as a spare) I've already mentioned. Warm light that reveals details without ever being harsh. It really seems to bring out the best in Fuji NPS 160 film both 35mm and 120 format and when I first started shooting with the Multiblitz kit I wasn't sure if the great results weren't due to other outside factors. I thought of the 300watt Halogen lamp and the oak hardwood floors in my living room contributing to the warmth of those initial shots but subsequent use at other locations revealed the same quality of light, a light that I've taken a shine to (sorry). Also given that the shutter speed is usually in the 1/60-1/125 range, there isn't much opportunity for ambient light sources to insinuate themselves onto the image so the warmth is very much due to the flash and umbrella combination. I liked the quality of light so much with the umbrellas that I haven't experimented much with the other ways of lighting available with the Multiblitz heads. I haven't even used the softbox for a portrait yet since the small size of it (50cm square) is only good for tight head shots, plus the fact that it's a bit of an inconvenience to use. I like the way the umbrellas can light up a small room very well in a dual light setup. I had wanted to purchase two larger umbrellas about 46" in size for the Compact 200 but I was advised that 46" would be a bit too big and start robbing the flash heads of their power and that 36" would be more appropriate. The output of the flash heads bare bulb, basic reflected, through the umbrellas and softbox reveal a similar quality if light but with different effects. Bare bulb I had assumed would provide omni directional lighting and fill in shadows everywhere but what I got instead were shadows similar to direct flash whereas the basic reflected light induced less shadows in the scene. The best overall light was with the umbrellas and for most people shots they are what I use. I have used the softbox more regularly but only for equipment shots to go with the equipment write-ups. I don't have a boom arm to get an overhead light source so most of my shots have been with the softbox angled in from one side. Early on this was all that I used and I noticed that I wasn't getting enough light on the opposite side to ensure proper detailing so I've taken to using a small 12" round reflector to add some fill. I wish I had more to say but I just haven't been able to really play with the Compact 200 kit all that much due to lack of space to have them set up all the time for easy experimenting. When I use them for portrait shots I generally don't do anything fancy and stick to the basics. I would love to add some more powerful flash heads and a whole whack of accessories to the kit to allow for more complex lighting and portraits but again space and time are at a premium nowadays for me so I don't envision being able to do much for a few years. Most of my photography takes me outside anyway so studio flash work has not been a huge priority. Link to Multiblitz |
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Correspondence & About this website Copyright © 1998-2008 Edwin Leong |
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I
recall an email exchange I had with a photo enthusiast friend Gord,
who now lives in San Francisco. We were discussing flash work and
how to get the best out of flash from the perspective of the 35mm
photographer limited to a directly mounted strobe or via a TTL off
camera cord. We went through the various ways of bouncing the light
or mounting the flash higher off the lens axis, essentially all
of the methods bandied about by more experienced photographers previously.
The
Mutliblitz kit I bought is an entry level kit that comprises of two
Compact 200 flash heads, one umbrella reflector holder, one 36" umbrella,
one 50cm softbox, power cords, spare fuses and one 20' PC cord. All
came packed in a hard plastic case the size of a medium suitcase.
The Compact 200 is the smallest of three monolights offered by Multiblitz,
a German based company with a probably larger presence in Europe then
North America as evidenced by the lack of information available in
North America. I did manage to find one website that had what looked
like a review of the Multiblitz products but alas I don't read German
so I didn't understand what it said. 